SEOUL -- North Korea's announcement Monday of successful test launches of a new cruise missile appears to add to the country's ability to strike Japan and other targets in the region, emphasizing Pyongyang's military buildup ahead of talks among the U.S. and its East Asian allies.
North Korea did not state where the missile landed, and the Japanese government has not confirmed whether it flew into the country's exclusive economic zone. But if Pyongyang's claims that it flew 1,500 km are accurate, its range would extend to the Japanese archipelago.
